USA > Maine > Waldo County > Unity > A history of the Town of Unity, Maine > Part 15
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The Temperance movement really begins with the evangelical Washingtonian societies, which mushroomed into nearly every state of the Union between 1840 and 1850. The Washingtonian revival was started by six reformed topers of Baltimore, led by John H. Haw- kins, its leading promoter. The Washingtonians advocated total ab- stinence, whereby a group of reformed drunkards by relating their experiences or by evangelical lecturing on the evils of drink influenced thousands to sign a pledge of drinking nothing more potent than cold water. The Washingtonians movement spread like a forest fire. In 1842 the Waldo County Washingtonian Total Abstinence Society was formed, a sort of parent society for the smaller societies in the county towns. Freedom Village had a Washingtonian Temperance Society established on November 27, 1842, comprised of ten members. In the same year Northport, Waldo, Searsmont, Troy, Swanville, Lin-
2. Town Records, March 1833. Records of Selectmen Doings.
"Whereas Josiah Segar, Charles Douglas, Joseph Douglas, Benjamin Douglas, Richard Hustus, Richard Hustus, Jr., Charles Bran, George Larabee and John Larabee, inhabitants of the town of Unity greatly injure their health and in danger of becoming town paupers, where- fore, you and all other persons are hereby forbidden to give, grant or sell to them, their wives, their children, any spiritous liquor or mixed liquor part of which is spirituous or any wine or other strong drink prohibited by law within one year from this date, hereafter. Unity, December 3, 1834."
3. At a meeting held in Thorndike in November 1831 the Temper- ance Society elected: Joseph Higgins, President; John Whitney, v- president; Ebenezer Crockett, 2nd v-president; and Joseph B. Whitney, sec. Delegates from Unity to the Waldo Temperance Society were Dr. Rufus Burnham and Samuel P. Benson. The latter was one of a com- mittee which helped draw up the constitution and was asked at the November meeting to give the keynote address.
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colnville and Montville formed Washingtonian societies.4 Unity doesn't seem to have organized one at this time, although Washing- tonian meetings were held here frequently.
During 1842 and 1843 several Washingtonian speakers lectured in Unity, the first apparently Father Hayes of Bath, who spoke here on July 18, 1842. On January 23, 1845, Charles Owen, a "reformed stage driver" of Brunswick lectured here at Farwell's schoolhouse on the cause of temperance.5
The Unity Washingtonians were sufficiently flourishing in 1846 to be host on December 10, 1846 to the Waldo County Washingtonian Total Abstinence Society. James Cochran of Brooks called the dele- gates to order and turned the meeting over to Jefferson Bartlett, pro tem, who welcomed the members representing eleven societies; namely, Belmont, North Belmont, Head of Tide, Belfast, Brooks, Freedom, Montville, Jackson, Waldo, Troy and Unity. A. M. Payson of New Jersey then addressed the assembled societies. A slate of officers was drawn up for the following year." In the afternoon the program con- sisted of a prayer by Rev. Ephraim Clark, singing by Unity choir after which Brother Otis reported the following resolutions :
1. Resolved that the true friends of the temperance reform must deplore the indifference of the many.
2. Resolved that the law passed at the last session of the legisla- ture of this State, prohibiting the traffic in intoxicating drinks, is founded in the immutable principle of right and justice, and ought to be vigorously and perseveringly enforced.
3. Resolved that the rumseller at the present day excites the just indignation of an intelligent and virtuous community; that the traffic makes man void of the principles of humanity, and lost to the noblest attributes of human nature; that it is the duty of all moral men to discountenance the sale, use, or manufacture of intoxicating drinks; that the inhabitants of this county have an important responsibility to assume in the suppression of in- temperance among us; that peace, sobriety and benevolence may supplant rum, ruin and wretchedness.
4. Omitted. (Concerns those who patronized taverns, etc.)
5. Resolved that we sympathize with the families of those un- fortunate men who spend their time at the drinking tavern, leaving their wives and children to suffer with cold, hunger and nakedness at home.
4. Republican Journal, December 22, 1843.
5. It was without doubt the influence of this movement which caused the town to authorize the licensing board, in 1846, not to license any person to retail wine, brandy, rum or any other strong liquor. At the same meeting the town refused a special license to John L. Seavey, who kept tavern.
6. James Cochran Jr., Pres .; Miles Cobb, Vice-president; Nathaniel Patterson, Corresponding sec .; Timothy Thorndike, recording sec. Di- rectors were: Isaac Coffin of 'Jackson, Rueben Files, Troy; Benjamin Fogg, Unity; Peter Ayer, Freedom; L. R. Palmer, Belfast; Dr. Noah Gilman, Frankfort; Jonathan Bean, Montville.
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The foregoing resolutions were discussed by Jesse Smart of Troy, Mr. Jewett of Massachusetts, Joel Whitney of Plymouth, Mr. Payson of New Jersey, and Daniel Tripp of Freedom.
In the evening the gathering was entertained by Dr. Jewett, who delivered his famous poem. The program closed with a note of thanks to the owners of the meeting house, to the Unity citizens for their hospitality, and to the choir for their excellent musical renditions.7
In February and March of 1846 a group of Unity men formed a Sons of Temperance Society, (No. 27). Two years later, on April 25, 1848, the Cadets of Temperance, Litterarius Section, had been insti- tuted, with Nelson Dingley, Jr., one of the foremost leaders. Dingley took part in a temperance debate, "Resolved whether alcohol is neces- sary as a medicine." In 1848 Sylvester Judd of Augusta spoke on the subject of temperance in this town.
In 1851 the Sons of Temperance, Div. No. 37, bought a lot of land from Jefferson Bartlett and erected a Temperance Hall.8 Leaders in this group were Jefferson Bartlett, Nelson Dingley, Gorham Hamil- ton, Alonzo Hamilton, Adam Myrick, Hall Myrick and Samuel S. Collar.
On November 10, 1861 another division known as the Glenwood Division, No. 227, Sons of Temperance, was organized.9
In Albion on the Fourth of July, 1842 a gigantic Washingtonian celebration was held with inhabitants of adjoining towns participating A long procession formed at the meeting house under the supervision of Brother Felch; the procession then proceeded to the farm of Ralph Baker. Following the men in the procession were approximately two hundred of the Martha Washingtonians. Led by band music the fervent temperance members marched to the Universalist Meeting House, where the "throne of Grace" was addressed by Rev. William McGray of Unity. Not yet exhausted, the members reassembled and marched to Major John Wellington's house, where, after due cere- mony, toasts of high patriotic fervor were made by drinking "na- ture's limpid sparkling cold water."
On February 22, 1843, the Freedom Abstinence Society held a mass meeting in that town under the auspices of Peter Ayer, its president.
The Temperance Society in Freedom discussed the problem of per- suading the retailers of intoxicating beverages to discontinue their sales. After a prayer, brother Daniel Tripp reported that the tavern- keepers and grog shopkeepers would relinquish their liquor traffic as soon as they had disposed of the small stock on hand. Thereupon, Daniel Tripp, John True and Joseph Hockey were appointed as a
7. Republican Journal, Dec. 25, 1846.
8. Waldo Co. Deeds. Book 76, p. 542, Unity Division. Sons of Temperance bought seven square rods. Deed dated Dec. 12, 1851.
9. Among these members were the following slate of officers for the year 1861: James R. Taber, W. P .; Benjamin F. Kelley, W.A .; Jona- than F. Parkhurst, R.S .; J. E. Stone, A.R.S .; A. J. Hurd, T.S .; Newell Woods, T .; Rev. J. N. Marsh, Chaplain; Clement R. Taber, C .; Benja- min Woods; John Murch, J.S .; and Ruel Berry, O.S.
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committee "to wait on the rumsellers" to ascertain what terms they might fix to dispose of their present stock. This much achieved, the members agreed to make the following resolutions.
First: "Resolved that we have abundant evidence to support us that the cause of temperance is the cause of God. We acknowledge with gratuities the kindness that He has shown to the cause of Wash- ingtonianism.
Second: That it is heartfelt rejoicing that we behold so many of our own fellow citizens assembled on this birthday of our immortal Wash- ington. May our exertions in the cause of social reform be as suc- cessful as the efforts of our beloved and sainted Washington in his struggle for liberty.
Third:
Time has arrived when men can no longer excuse themselves on any plea from giving their countenance and support of temperance, that traffic in intoxicating drink is not only a moral evil and viola- tion of the command, "Do unto all men as ye would they should do to you", but it is an outrage against our social and domestic rights in as much as it ruins the property and prostrates the intellect of the inebriate, beggars his family, destroys their pride of character, and inflicts on unoffending and helpless women and children the most dreadful agony of body and mind which cannot be realized or revealed except by those who have been baptized by his freeing minister of terror and despair.
Fifth: Resolved that it is a solemn duty of a temperance community to unite heart and hand in banishing this potent destroyer of our happiness from this land by every means in our power; first, by an entreaty of kindness, conciliation, and expostulation. Should these means fail by means the laws which our country has armed us with for our protection and preservation.
Seventh:
Resolved that this society receive with a lively sensation of satisfac- tion the favorable reception of our committee by the rumsellers of this place and most sincerely hope that the time is not far distant when we shall have proud satisfaction of raising our palm of gratitude and joy that monster alcohol is no longer for sale in our town."
Peter Ayer, President William Ross, Sec.
On April 17, 1843, the Freedom society met under the leadership of David Webster, President, to consider the action of the committee and society regarding the two shops in Freedom then selling intoxi- cating drinks. The committee had invited Guy McAllister and George Ranlett to the meeting. When asked if they would cease selling liquor, both men agreed to comply with the wishes of the society; in fact, McAllister said that he would move his stock out of his store that very night. Thereupon, the Society reported in the records that "the traffic of ardent spirits was now abandoned.11
However, it was not as easily solved as the society thought. In their December report of 1843, the Freedom Washingtonian Abstinence Society reported their strength as 163 members, but with certain mis- giving their secretary reported that six of their members had broken the pledge, two had been reclaimed, but one was secretly engaged in the sale of liquor without a license.12 A year later in December 1844, the membership was upped to 192, but McAllister was still keeping his
10. Republican Journal, March 3, 1843.
12. Ibid. December 22, 1843.
11. Republican Journal, April 21, 1843.
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"grogshop", since the selectmen had granted him a license as an inn- holder. Nevertheless, the Washingtonians were persistent. Again McAllister and Ranlett agreed to discontinue sale. The friends of temperance contributed a sum of money to purchase the liquor. Therefore, a committee was selected to test the purity of various kinds and to declare what was suitable for medical purposes. That part of the alcoholic beverages declared unfit for medicine was poured into the street to mix with the melting snow. The remainder was placed in the hands of the Town Clerk to be disposed of as the citizens of Freedom saw fit.
It was a custom when a farmer erected a new barn that he have a barn "raising"; also it was customary to furnish four or five gallons of rum to refresh the laborers after the trick was finished. When the temperance movement started many a farmer who had taken the pledge refused to furnish the strong spirits. One of the first of these was in Montville when Jonathan M. Murray put up the first "tem- perance barn" in 1834. Not a glass of liquor of any kind was used in hewing, sawing the timber or boards, or in framing and raising the barn. Murray ran into trouble on the first day. The workers came and commenced the herculean task of putting up the hand hewn beams. Murray had told the men that there would be no liquor, but promised them a good supper. The men had the plate about shoulder high, when one man said, "Mr. Murray, your frame can go no higher unless you furnish two gallons of rum". Murray refused and the frame was placed back on the ground. Next day Murray circulated his trouble around, and soon he had plenty of hands to assist in the "barn raising".
In 1844 an ardent Temperance man wrote in the Belfast Journal that Thorndike did not have a single temperance society. He took to task a certain man who had a "rum raising" in order to get his new barn put together. E. J. Higgins was quick to reply by letter that Thorndike contained a number of good temperance people. The barn referred to was that of Squire E. S. Stevens, who answered that he hadn't furnished a drop. "The majority of Thorndike people", wrote Higgins, "are strict adherents of temperance", and Thorndike people were not those who "adopt methods of preamble and resolutions drawn out into unmeaning platitudes".
After the passage of the Maine Law of 1851 the temperance move- ment declined. The stringent Maine prohibition law prohibited the sale, keeping for sale, and manufacture of all intoxicating drinks; the penalty for the same included a fine and imprisonment for violating the law. Likewise it permitted search and seizure. Consequently those that had a flourishing trade of hard liquor concealed their ac- tivities. A local hostelry of this village had a secret closet in which the liquor was hidden. On one occasion (1877) the Belfast county sheriff raided the tavern, found what he was looking for and fined the tavernkeeper fifty dollars.
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The cause for the decline of temperance may be attributed to back- sliding of its followers, as well as the rising tide of the abolition move- ment. The decade before the Civil War was one of tumultuous events with political activities holding the center of attention. How- ever, Unity's Sons of Temperance held meetings during the decade 1851 to 1861. Gradually the interest subsided, only fractional numbers kept up their dues or interest so that in August 1871 Sons of Tem- perance, Division No. 37, sold their hall to Albert F. Watson. The remaining members of long standing included Samuel S. Collar, Jeffer- son Bartlett, Gorham Hamilton, Hall C. Myrick, Adam W. Myrick, Joseph Wiggin, and William Hamilton.
In the fall of 1876 the movement revived in this town as well as elsewhere. In October of that year the Ironclads organized at the Union Church. At this meeting Frank Herrick of Fairfield related his experiences with demon liquor; Herrick presented the pledge which "quite a number" signed; among them some hard cases who were en- couraged by hearty cheers. The next month the Ironclads dedicated "their new hall". The Ladies Aid furnished a "beautiful collation" and a splendid pyramidal cake sold by tickets at auction, which brought five dollars into the club's treasury. At this festive meeting five new names were added to the pledge. Marcellus Dow, Princi- pal of the Free High School, spoke briefly. During the next year (1877) the Ironclads continued holding social get togethers; their meeting largely comprised of songs, recitations, or declamations; one typical program was made up as follows : 13
Prayer, H. B. Rice; Business Meeting; Reading, Emma Jones and Florence Harding; "I've Taken My Last Glass", a poem recited by Charles Harmon; "Our Home Is Not What It Used To Be," song by Nellie Emery; "Whittier's School Days", by M. J. Dow; "Jotham and Huldah" (humorous song), by H. C. Chandler.
At another meeting H. C. Chandler made a stump speech and the company went home in the rain singing, "Cold Water Forever".
In February 1877 the Winnecock Lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templar was formed; District Deputy Marcellus J. Dow in- stalled the following officers; Dr. J. Craig; Nellie Moulton; Benja- min Fogg; Lizzie Thompson; Daniel Starkey; George Files, Augustus Fogg; Arthur Connor; Clara Mitchell; Louise Bither; Amos Douglas; Florence Bartlett; Jennie Stevens; Mr. Starkey.
Although the temperance movement continued for a time, it had already accomplished its purpose in Maine and later activity was spasmodic. The last active organization, instituted in 1899, lingered only a year or two and collapsed from inertia. The nineteen twenties proved the folly of prohibition by law, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's
13. The Ironclads elected in Jan. 1877: J. R. Monroe, President; Jack A. Van Deets, V. Pres .; Hollis Reynolds, V. Pres .; V. J. Moore, Sec .; Josiah E. Harmon, F. S .; Benj. A. Fogg, Treas .; Augustus Fogg. Other members, Dr. James Craig, Mary Berry and James Taber.
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first term prohibition provided by the eighteenth amendment was re- pealed. Though beer and hard liquor are sold in Maine; the Maine communities have the privilege of rejecting or accepting licenses for commercially selling drinks. Unity has proved a citadel of temperance.
CHAPTER IX
INDUSTRIES OF UNITY
Saw Mills and Grist Mills
Lumbering and mill operations began almost simultaneously with settlement.1 Lumbering in Maine began as early as 1623 when the first saw mill in America was supposedly established. In the eighteenth century lumbermen moved up the Kennebec and by 1772 were working on the Sebasticook River.2 It was the good stands of pine which attracted men like "Thad" Carter to Unity, and John Mitchell was credited with a saw mill here as early as 1782.8 Mit- chell's mill was a "crude affair, the water being conducted through a hollow log into an overshot wheel." His mill was located on Sandy Stream supposedly not far from the old Moulton Mills.
By 1795 lumber operations in Unity were well under way. Paul Coffin noted in his journal of 1797, "from his pond (Unity Pond), or near it they send their lumber down the Sebasticook to Winslow."4 The year before Coffin had observed in Clinton that "sixty King's masts have been hauled in this vicinity this year, and many of a less sort." One of these great masts marked with a King's arrow was cut on Thomas Fowler's farm and hauled by nine yoke of oxen to the Sebasticook. The tree was said to be what is termed a thirty-two inch mast and notable for its length, and size at the top. It took eighteen oxen to move it lying on the large sled especially made for this pur- pose, with a pole sixteen feet long. Ten men called tailsmen followed the pole cattle, so that in case the sled in passing down hill could not be held back the men could quickly unhitch the oxen and save them from injury.5 Another yoke hauled a barrel of rum which kept the spirits of the men elevated.
This early phase of the lumber industry was characterized by in- dividual effort, family establishments, or partnerships. It took some capital to build a saw or grist mill. Family partnerships were not
1. Robert G. Albion, Forests and Seapower, Cambridge, 1926, p. 233. "Scarcely was a hamlet settled before a saw mill was established."
2. Letter, from James Bowdoin, November 12, 1772, Boston, to Charles Hayden of Winslow, Bowdoin Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
3. Taber, History of Unity, p. 25.
4. Coffin, "Missionary Tour of Maine", 1797, Vol. IV, p. 351.
5. Bangor Sentinel, July 5, 1904. Unity item by Crosby Fowler. This was the great log which is said to have become one of the masts of the frigate, "Constitution."
6. Richard G. Wood, Lumbering in Maine 1820-1861, University of Maine Studies, 1935, p. 29.
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uncommon in the lumbering business.6 Saw mills usually appeared before the grist mills, probably due to the difficulty in obtaining mill stones; and secondly, lumbering brought in a larger income. There was plenty of white pine and the multiplicity of lumbermen created a scramble for the stands of soft woods found everywhere. Farm- ing was temporarily neglected, often to the detriment of the settlers who barely gained a subsistence. The lumber sawn in these saw mills sought a market at Belfast. The lumber was transported by heavy wagons or sleds drawn by oxen and was delivered at Head of Tide on the Point. The route led through Thorndike and Brooks and the long strings of teams formed a long procession varying from rods to miles. It was no light task to drive a four ox team loaded with lumber or bark to Belfast and return with produce in a day. They started before sunrise. An old timer recalled, "We remember the long procession of horse teams that used to pass on the Unity road, for long before day, the creak of the sled and rumble of teams, and voices of the drivers could be heard until noon. In the afternoon about two o'clock the teams started returning, loaded with barrels of flour, lime, pork, beef, molasses and cloth."
Other products hauled to market were staves rived from oak, ash oars, pine or cedar shingles. Hay and potatoes were not worth market- ing. There were probably at least two saw mills in Unity before 1800; one built by Ebenezer Pattee and the other by John and Isaac Mitchell. About 1802 Pattee lost his mill by "fire and water" and the com- munity regarded it as such a serious loss that they prepared a petition to the Kennebec proprietors requesting that Pattee be compen- sated.
Honorable Gentlemen of the Plymouth Company
We the subscribers do certify and give it as our own opinion that the mills built at Sandy Stream by Ebenezer Pattee, Esq. has been very ad- vantageous to the settlement of the land in that county, and it was very expensive in building said mills at the time when there was no roads for transportation and the loss he has met with by fire and water we think any favor that you think proper.7
Whether Ebenezer Pattee received any compensation from the Plymouth Company is not known. At any rate he rebuilt his mill at the junction of Half Moon and Sandy Streams. Pattee and Henry Farwell, his son-in-law, apparently joined partnership and oper-
7. Kennebec Grants, Reuel Williams Kennebec Purchase Papers, Maine Historical Society, Portland, Vol. I, II, p. N. D. 20. This docu- ment written on pale green paper is undated and on reverse side marked "petition in favor of Ebenezer Pattee at Sandy Stream." Signatures attached include the following: Daniel Whitmore, Lemuel Bartlett, Stephen Chase, Hezekiah Chase, Joseph Bartlett, David Bean, Bennett Woods, Jr., John Melvin, Amos Jones, Josiah Whitney, John 'Scribner, James Rich, Philip Danforth, John Perley, Abner Knowles, Benjamin Bartlett, Clement Rackliff, Jacob Trueworthy, Benjamin Rackliff, Joseph Stevens, John Rackliff, Peter Jackson, Nathaniel Stevens, David Ware, Henry Farwell, John Leonard, Peter Grant, and William May- hew.
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ated the saw and grist mills together.8 Farwell located his saw mill below the junction of the two streams which became known as Far- well's Mills.º Henry managed his mill business in partnership with Pattee, who in his old age turned his ownership over to his two sons- in-law, Farwell and Amos Jones. Besides the half interest Farwell formerly had, now he had a whole interest in the saw mill and half interest with Amos Jones in a grist mill.1º About 1830 Farwell dis- posed of his mill interests to Benjamin R. Stevens.
Contemporaneous with Pattee and Farwell, Isaac Mitchell with his brother Alexander Mitchell constructed a dam and saw mill on Bither brook. In 1804 the latter sold to his brother Isaac a half in- terest in "one half of the saw mill and one half of the grist mill standing on Mitchell's millstream, so-called, on the east side of the pond."11 The dam and original mill vanished years ago, but this site was located on Bither brook a few rods below the house where Isaac lived.12 Isaac Mitchell supervised his two mills until 1829. Isaac was thrown from a horse and injured severely, and about this time he turned over the mills to his son, Madison Mitchell, who operated them for a few years. Elisha Bither later operated these mills.
The third grist mill erected in Unity was Connor's Mill.13 James Connor, a native of Gardiner, came to Unity when he was about thirty years old. Connor was a well-known figure in this area as a captain in the local militia. In 1821 he was elected colonel.14 He was recognized as a fine businessman primarily interested in lumber, having an active lumber business in Gardiner and other Kennebec locations. In 1814 James Connor married Mary Whitmore, a daugh- ter of Daniel Whitmore, from whom Connor acquired his farm.
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